Ozzy Osbourne released his recent studio album “Ordinary Man” on Feb. 21 via Epic Records. Ten years between his last release fans were anxiously awaiting the metal legend’s newest album rounding his discography off at 12 albums.
“Ordinary Man” commences with “Straight to Hell,” a soothing chorus begins the track, leading listeners to question what the song’s direction is taking, but throughout the song, the heavy instrumentals kick in and Osbourne’s vocal-blend with the music giving listeners the headbanging experience they’ve been waiting for.
The title track off the album features Elton John on piano and co-vocals. This song focuses on Osbourne being an ordinary man past all the publicity he has received in his five-decade career. Elton John had similar experiences to Osbourne when it came to drug addiction and the media.
When John sings the second verse, “Many times I’ve lost control, they tried to kill my rock and roll…” listeners can’t distinguish if he is talking about his own career or Osbourne’s making the song impactful because behind the rock n’ roll stars they are there is still an ordinary man.
“As someone who never listened to Ozzy or Elton John growing up, [Ordinary Man] gave clues to what each of them dealt with…” Zacara Williams, junior psychology major said.
“Under the Graveyard” was the first single released on Nov. 19, 2019, giving fans a taste of what to expect from the metal legend himself. The song was softer, but Osbourne’s vocals were prominent, focusing on his tone and the lyrics more than the instrumentation. The heartfelt, depressing lyrics focus on life in general but can be tied back to Osbourne’s recent health issues.
The chorus puts life into perspective with “Under the graveyard, we’re all rotting bones… everything you are, can’t take it when you go… I ain’t livin’ this lie no more…,” which fans expected to be about the recent health issues he had, causing him to cancel his 2019 tours.
Ozzy Osbourne was set to do a European tour, but canceled it because of health issues; fans were upset and worried for the 71-year-old English rocker. In his announcement, he stated that he had health issues; later it came out that he had developed pneumonia.
In 2019, he was set to do a North American tour but postponed it due to a serious fall at home, which led a lot of fans to question if he would be ending his 53-year long career.
On Jan 21, a month before his newest album was set to release, Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne did an interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts about his recent health issues, to put the rumors that have been going around to rest. He opened up about being diagnosed and the impact it had on him and his family.
When prompted about the struggles of 2019 Osbourne went into detail about what he dealt with,“…At my last show, New Year’s Eve, I set it for, I had a bad fall. I had to have surgery on my neck, which screwed up my nerves…I found out I have a mild form of…,” where he turned to Sharon who spoke of the disease he had been diagnosed with.
“It’s Parkin 2, which is a form of Parkinson’s and it is… there’re so many different types of Parkinson’s. It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect certain nerves in your body,” said Sharon Osbourne.
For an entire year, the Osbourne family kept the diagnosis out of the public eye, but the interview with GMA made it known to the public. The Osbourne’s were emotional with their interview shedding light on how much the fans and music mean to Ozzy. “It just means so much to him, what he does. He loves to perform, it is the air he breathes…,” said Sharon Osbourne.
Ozzy Osbourne doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon, he canceled his rescheduled 2020 North American dates and has made plans to go to Switzerland in April to see a doctor that will help build up his immune system, so he can get back on the road and do what he loves for his fans.
